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Study of the Evolution of Masked Bifascicular Block
Author(s) -
BAYÉS DE LUNA ANTONIO,
TORNER PELAYO,
OTER RAMÓN,
OCA FERNANDO,
GUINDO JOSEP,
RIVERA ISABEL,
FORT DE RIBOT RAMÓN
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1988.tb06267.x
Subject(s) - medicine , atrioventricular block , cardiology , block (permutation group theory) , heart block , heart failure , electrocardiography , geometry , mathematics
Masked bifascicular block (MBB) (absent or minimal S in I and VL. high R in V; and ÂQRS approximately ‐60°) is a rare condition. We have found 16 such cases in the last 12 years, thirteen male and three female, mean age 70 ± 9 years. The conventional electrocardiogram was tabulated and the clinical features and evolution of the patients were followed over 39.1 ± 32 months. Ten patients required pacemakers, nine because of complete atrioventricular (AV) block or increase in the previous AV block. Seven patients died (follow‐up 27.3 ± 32 months), five from heart failure. This study shows: (1) MBB is a subgroup of patients with a high risk of advanced atrioventricular block; (2) a pacemaker implant does not significantly reduce the high mortality in this group because of the severity of the underlying disease; (3) these results should be evaluated in a larger series of patients in order to confirm our provisional results.